National Employer Advisory Board

Lord Bach: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:
	Following an open competition which attracted a strong field of applicants, I am pleased to advise the House of the appointment of eight new members and the reappointment of two members to the National Employer Advisory Board (NEAB).
	The new members are:
	Mr David Amos
	Viscount Brookeborough
	Mr David Frost
	Mr John Hazelwood
	Miss Delva Patman
	Mr Gordon Scott
	Dr Bill Speirs
	Mr David Yeandle
	The reappointments are:
	Mrs Susan Anderson
	Mr Hew Balfour
	They join the other five members of the board, which is chaired by the noble Lord, Lord Glenarthur, and which continues to provide appropriate support in conjunction with the SaBRE campaign to reservists and their employers. I take this opportunity to thank NEAB for its work which is very much appreciated by the Ministry of Defence.

Prime Minister's Strategy Unit Report on Risks Associated with Conflict and Instability

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published on 17 February a report entitled Investing in Prevention: An International Strategy to Manage Risks of Instability and Improve Crisis Response. Copies of this report to government will be placed in the Library of the House today. It follows the publication by the Strategy Unit in November 2003 of its Strategic Audit, which recommended increased strategic focus on instability and conflict prevention. The report contains the Strategy Unit's analysis of the main risk factors associated with conflict and instability and a series of recommendations by the Strategy Unit for how to address these. Preventing conflict and building stability are fundamental to the Government's foreign policy. This report by the Strategy Unit provides further material on which to draw in support of this agenda and departments will be looking carefully at its recommendations.